Agony for a woman forced to give birth to a boy two days after her death

Gemma Thompson was still going through the trauma of giving birth to Jack despite knowing two days before he had died and Irwin Mitchell was now dealing with the care she was receiving at Hull Royal Infirmary

A Yorkshire woman has described giving birth to a stillborn baby as the “most difficult time of her life” after being told the traumatic news just two days before.

Gemma Thompson, 35, who lives in a village between York and Hull with her husband Nigel, 59, was in the 38th week of her first pregnancy when she found out the news.

Two days later, on March 8, 2020, their son Jack was stillborn at Hull Royal Infirmary. Gemma speaks about the difficult time in her life to help others and raise awareness.

After Jack’s death, Gemma and Nigel directed Irwin Mitchell to investigate her care under the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the HRI.

Gemma has a complex medical history. She has a functional neurological disorder (FND) that can cause seizures and weakness in her limbs.

She and Nigel had been trying to conceive for three and a half years when she became pregnant in July 2019. During the first few months of her pregnancy, she noticed an increase in her seizures and fainting spells. She also noticed changes in her blood sugar and began testing them herself.

In January 2020, at 32 weeks gestation, she visited the HRI for a prenatal exam. Tests showed elevated sugar in her urine, but there was no further investigation and she was reassured there were no concerns.

At 38 weeks, she attended a prenatal appointment. No concerns were raised prior to this check-up, but unfortunately during that appointment she was informed that Jack had died.

She was given medication to induce labor and sent home. She was later hospitalized the following day to give birth to Jack. Jack Thompson was stillborn on March 8, 2020.

Gemma, a debt counselor, said: “I found out I was pregnant with Jack the day before my birthday and I was so relieved and excited as we struggled to conceive. I did have concerns about my FND, however, and it got worse during my pregnancy, but at no time did I feel like the doctors were concerned.

“When I turned 38 weeks I was constantly reassured that everything was fine and then to learn that our baby boy had died was a huge shock. We were absolutely devastated. The son we had waited for so long had been taken from us in the worst possible way.

“Also going through labor while mourning Jack was really awful. The whole experience was downright traumatic. Jack died early in the pandemic so we were unable to provide a proper funeral for him which was awful.

“I know nothing can be done to change what happened or bring Jack back to us. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through and I’m not sure I could have done without Nigel, my family and friends.”

Gemma is a member of the Facebook group set up by Sands, a stillbirth and newborn death charity. She also joins her legal team in celebrating Sands Awareness Month, a campaign aimed at reducing the number of baby deaths and raising awareness of the support available to families affected by baby loss stand.

A spokesman for the University of Hull Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We would like to extend our sincere condolences to Mr and Mrs Thompson.

For more information about Sands Awareness Month, visit www.sands.org.uk

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